Japan-UK Collaboration to Clear Landmines in Angola

Given that the signing ceremony of the contract between the UK and an NGO called the “Halo Trust” regarding assistance to clear landmines was conducted in Angola on June 15, by combining it with Japan’s assistance for the Halo Trust, Japan-UK collaboration to clear landmines in Angola has been realized.

1. Japan and the UK jointly provide necessary funding for a landmine clearance project in Huambo Province in Angola, implemented by the Halo Trust. Japan extended assistance of USD 550,000 through its Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects for expenses for personnel, equipment, etc. necessary for the project in March. The UK decided to provide assistance of GBP 50,000 for the project.

2. Angola’s civil war ended in 2002, but 35% of its landmass is still contaminated by landmines laid during the war. This has been hindering its economic and social development. Taking this backdrop into account, as a result of coordination between Japan and the UK, the two countries decided to collaborate to help clear landmines in Angola. This assistance by Japan and the UK is expected to reduce the number of casualties caused by unexploded landmines, secure the safety of land, and promote effective use of land for food production and other social and economic development projects, thus advancing the consolidation of peace in Angola. The project will clear a total of 191,692 square meters of land from landmines, benefitting more than 2,490 local residents. Japan and the UK also collaborated in providing assistance for a landmine clearance project by an NGO called “Norwegian People's Aid (NPA)” in Malanje Province in Angola last year.

3. This collaboration has been realized as part of the efforts to explore Japan-UK joint cooperation projects in Africa, including peacekeeping and peacebuilding, as agreed at the Second Japan-UK Foreign and Defence Ministers’ Meeting (“2+2”) in January 2016. Japan and the UK share basic values, including the rule of law, and are the global strategic partners having responsibility in promoting global peace and stability, as well as the closest security partners in Asia and in Europe. Japan and the UK will continue to cooperate closely on a global scale including Africa to respond to the challenges of the international community.